Apartments proposed for Carnegie building

The city of Leavenworth was received only one formal proposal for the future use of the old Carnegie Arts Center building, a city official said.

Comment

By John Richmeier

The Leavenworth Times - Leavenworth, KS

By John Richmeier

Posted Oct. 12, 2013 at 8:27 AM

By John Richmeier

Posted Oct. 12, 2013 at 8:27 AM

The city of Leavenworth was received only one formal proposal for the future use of the old Carnegie Arts Center building, a city official said.

Officials had requested proposals from people who would like to take over the historic building. The deadline for proposals was late September.

City Manager Scott Miller said the only proposal came from the local Greenamyre Rentals company. He said the proposal is for using the building for apartments.

Miller said a financial offer for the building is not being discussed at this point.

"We're not talking about that," he said. "We're just talking about uses."

He said the proposal will be brought before the City Commission next month.

The city took over the building, which is located at 601 S. Fifth St., in 2012, after the Carnegie Arts Center closed. The structure reverted back to the city under an agreement that had allowed the building to be operated as the arts center.

The building, which originally served as a library, was constructed with a grant awarded around 1900 by Andrew Carnegie. It is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Because it is on the National Register, Miller has said there are restrictions regarding what can be done to the exterior of the building. But a developer can make changes to the interior.

Miller said he would've liked to have received more proposals, but he's not surprised that only one was submitted. He said these type of projects are hard to do.